The Poetryzine Magazine presents the selected poems by the Portuguese poetess Maria Do Sameiro Barroso
Illustration: AI
TETOUAN (Marrocco)
In Tetouan, I heard about ancient rhymes,
sweet dates lost in the desert sands,
and your hair was wet with pearls
forgotten in the rain.
In the streets, orange trees and jasmine
lit up the gardens, the blue sky over the medina.
In the colourful light and the fragrant gardens,
the ancient lutes sounded again,
My destiny was to listen to them,
looking for the ancient tales
about the noble hawks,
the traditional jewellery enchanting my eyes
the looms of life weaving the tapestries
of my heart,
while the time seemed to be collapsing
in that mist in which I lived one day,
in Tetouan, lost in the enchanted sounds
of fragrant memories.
PRIESTESSES
The priestesses of light dress themselves up
of orchids, they comb their hair
with lilac perfumes, listen to the stars,
looking for their celestial alchemy.
They are discreet fireflies leading
the lamps of the time in the mirror of their eyes,
the caress of their faces, in the roses of their skins.
In the dawn of the world, they live, they float,
They silence their sweet melancholy,
They plant the trees and the sun,
They speak with wisdom and eloquence,
and keep the harmony they heard
in the voice of the poets,
reflecting their restlessness, their flames,
in secrets spread in the wind,
and the flight of butterflies.
PALESTINE
Lay your head on my chest.
You will hear music
never played before,
the lament of a strangled harp,
the song of a blood dove,
the cry of a devastated inheritance,
remembering the crystalline sky,
the fertile land.
And look at the burning figure
and the bird of light.
Then, think about the unreality
and the fair dream of peace
never achieved.
DISQUIET
(For a Poet)
It's not by chance that the words
take me to you.
Speechless is the mutation of the metaphors,
the melancholy in your eyes,
the legacy of poetry, your burning voice.
The wheels of fear are moving, even in the music,
in the house
where you spent your early childhood,
in the maternal environment, in the vast land.
Your voice is a pool in the night
where modernist Orfeo spills the moon,
the splendour of the city,
and gets lost in her vast skies
where the ancient rattles go mad
and get lost in the vertigo of time,
looking for a word, a single poem,
in nights, sad like insomnia machines,
which, notwithstanding,
brings up white, peaceful doves,
and days full of balms.
SONG AND SILENCE
It's lovely when your heart opens to me,
you listen to the world,
and the doves roll down on your chest
loaded with heavy metals.
And I like the sky, the violets,
a spasmodic violin, your embrace,
and the sweet lunation of your mouth.
I like your perfume and the song and silence
of a macerated desert, a muted bird
loose between your lips, your fingers,
discovering oceans and subtle comets,
sweet dithyrambs floating
in the destroyed sky of the suffering cities
increasingly,
on the moon with white warheads.
The collection of poems paints a vivid tapestry of emotions and imagery, spanning from the enchanting streets of Tetouan to the haunting echoes of Palestine. Each poem captures a moment in time, weaving together themes of nostalgia, longing, and disquietude. In Tetouan, the reader is transported to a world of ancient rhymes and fragrant memories, evoking a sense of longing for a distant past. Priestesses celebrates the ethereal presence of women as luminous beings, embodying wisdom and harmony amidst the chaos of the world. Palestine confronts the harsh realities of conflict and loss, juxtaposed with the beauty of the land and the yearning for peace. Disquiet delves into the inner turmoil of a poet, grappling with fear and melancholy, yet finding solace in the power of words and the promise of hope. Finally, Song and Silence explores the tender moments of connection between lovers, amidst a backdrop of celestial imagery and the harsh realities of war. Overall, the poems evoke a sense of introspection and contemplation, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of human experience and the enduring power of art to transcend suffering.